Thread: Caracas?

I can assure you, that even I as a citizen avoid going home. Caracas has the highest per capita murder rate in the world. Caracas yes is very expensive. Due to poor governing inflation is around 30% which causes goods and services to go up on a daily basis. I was home visiting last August, and for 2 weeks staying with family we spent well over $3000 just on the basics. My mother, wife and I went for dinner in a moderate restuarant and the bill came to Bs.F 850.00 which at the time was about $425.00... or McDonalds or the local Pollo Arturos was Bs.F65.00 or again at the time $32.50.

If you decide to go at another time, be very careful. When you arrive to CCS you arrive to Simon Bolivar which is in Vargas State. You will need to take a taxi from the Airport to Downtown which takes about 1 hour with no traffic up to 4 with traffic and longer with traffic and rain... The cost is about Bs.F 400 for a secure ride, that is relatively safe. Public transit is not recommended for non-venezuelans and this reason is two fold: Buses are often robbed at gunpoint, they usually just take what the locals have on them, non-venezuelans have not been so lucky, and lost more than just their belongings. The second reason for not taking public transit is they will transit all the Barrios (slums) as well that is where they stop near down town Caracas. Most Venezuelan's don't go to these areas so I recommend against it... again too many sad news stories of travlers trying this and ending up in a not so good situation.

Margarita Island is so so in terms of safety. Things are on the decline and will get worse as we get closer to the National Assembly Elections in September.

I do not want to make Venezuela or Caracas sound bad... I just worry that many won't know what they are getting into. I can say first hand that Beirut is easy and friendly in comparison with Caracas. I really mean this. Caracas is in a league of its own, and often startles people once they arrive.

As well Venezuela Exit Tax at the Airport is BS.F 162.50 or about $37.00